REMEMBERING FERRANTE & TEICHER

While I was on semi-hiatus, Art Ferrante passed away at the age of 88. He was half of the piano duo Ferrante & Teicher, whom I discovered after picking up the soundtrack CD for 'The Ernie Kovacs Show'.

Here's a video for one of their songs, which was featured on that CD and which has become one of my favorite songs in my personal soundtrack.....



BCnU.....

WORST ZONK OF THE YEAR! HAVING SAID THAT....

I never met a meta that I didn't like....

Expand your experience of seeing the year's biggest Zonk: the 'Seinfeld' reunion on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm', with Larry playing George playing Larry......

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: MILES STANDISH (2+ FOR TUESDAY)

For this week of Thanksgiving....

MILES STANDISH

AS SEEN IN:
"We Shall Remain"

AS PLAYED BY:
Duncan Putney

Captain Myles Standish (c. 1584 – October 3, 1656), (sometimes spelled Miles Standish) was an English military officer hired by the Pilgrims as military advisor for Plymouth Colony. Arriving on the Mayflower, he worked on colonial defense. On February 17, 1621, he was appointed the first commander of Plymouth Colony. Later, he served as Plymouth's representative in England, and served as assistant governor and as the colony's treasurer. He was also one of the founders of the town of Duxbury, Massachusetts (named after his ancestral seat at Duxbury Woods, Chorley) in 1632.

Standish is often remembered for his bravery in battle and his reputation as the military captain of the Pilgrims, as well as a character in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's fictitious poem "The Courtship of Miles Standish".
(from Wikipedia)

AS SEEN IN:
"Leap Into The Unknown: William Bradford And The Pilgrim Fathers"

AS PLAYED BY:
Luke Knowlton

For some reason, his nickname was "Captain Shrimp"....

And as an added bonus from the tele-cornucopia:

AS SEEN IN:
'Bewitched'

AS PLAYED BY:
Peter Canon

BCnU!

"DOCTOR WHO": FORTY-SIX YEARS LATER.....

Today marks the anniversary of 'Doctor Who', which premiered on this date in 1963. (It's amazing that anybody in the world was watching anything but the news on that day!)

So here's Toobworld Central's salute to the Doctor. The first eight incarnations, plus the one from the Cineverse. And to Benny Hill, while we're at it......



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"MERLOTTE'S": THE SITCOM

Somebody has taken scenes from 'True Blood' and transformed them into a sitcom, thanks to a laugh track to sweeten the deal......



BCnU!

THE TOOBWORLD TIMELINE: THE KIDNAPPING OF JOHN ADAMS

In the 'Daniel Boone' episode "Take The Southland Stage", President John Adams was kidnapped in Philadelphia and held for ransom. First Lady Abigail Adams asked Boone to handle the ransom demands, but he was able to rescue the President, subdue the kidnappers, and keep hold of the money.

This is one of those "historical events" that never happened in the real world, but can easily be accepted in Toobworld - because of national security, all of the details were kept secret.

Adams had already been in Philadelphia where the first Presidential mansion was located. But he had gone to the Hotel Adelphia to give an old friend of his some bad news: Congress refused to hear Colonel Anthony Bedlow's claim to keep his plantation, which had been taken away from him due to some legal technicality. Colonel Bedlow claimed that he would have gone to see the President, but he had allegedly broken his leg in a fall from a horse. (Actually, this was a ruse and Bedlow turned out to be the mastermind behind the abduction.)

As he was taking his leave of Bedlow, President Adams (played by Torin Thatcher) mentioned that he had to be back in Washington for the dedication of the new White House. (He was the first resident President.)

Now, John Adams didn't move into the White House until November 1st, 1800, a Saturday. He only lived there until March 4th, 1801, when Jefferson became the third President of the United States. As the weather seems pleasant enough in the episode, I'm going to assume that the events of the kidnapping took place in the last week of October, and that the dedication of the White House would be highlighted by Adams taking up residence there. (Although apparently there was no ceremony upon his moving in, according to historical accounts.)

Boone was told to take the stage that was leaving for Baltimore on a Thursday. I think that means he left on October 23rd, and that the actual kidnapping probably happened on Monday the 20th. This would give Abigail Adams enough time to make the arrangements to meet with Daniel Boone, most likely on Wednesday the 22nd. (The First Lady would not move into the White House until a few weeks after her husband had already settled in.) Here's another historical twist: Adams refers to the new residence in Washington as "the White House" (with an odd inflection, as if the term was not yet common usage). However, the public didn't start calling it by that name until 1811, according to historical records. So there's yet another difference that separates Toobworld from the Trueniverse.

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: MEYER LANSKY

Recently, Joseph Wiseman, best known for playing "Dr. No", passed away. One of his major roles in Toobworld was that of Manny Weisbrod on 'Crime Story'. The character of Manny was based on Meyer Lansky.....

MEYER LANSKY

AS SEEN IN:
"Lansky"

AS PLAYED BY:
Richard Dreyfuss
Meyer Lansky (born Meyer Suchomlanski) (July 4, 1902 – January 15, 1983; known as the "Mob's Accountant") was a Jewish-American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the "National Crime Syndicate" in the United States. Lansky developed a gambling empire which stretched from Saratoga, New York to Miami and Las Vegas; it is also said that he oversaw gambling concessions in Cuba. He was appointed by Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar. Although a member of the Jewish Mafia, Lansky undoubtedly had strong influence with the Italian Mafia and played a large role in the consolidation of the criminal underworld (although the full extent of this role has been the subject of some debate).
[from Wikipedia]
BCnU!

LIFE DURING PRIME-TIME: HESSIAN SUGGESTION

In Toobworld, everybody has a story not seen on screen - and that includes the extras.

I thought of this while watching "Take The Southland Stage", an episode of 'Daniel Boone'. The clerk at the Hotel Adelphia in Philadelphia had a Germanic accent, which could be heard distinctly as he asked President John Adams (travelling incognito) if he needed a cab.

Because of events within the episode, it had to be taking place in October of 1800. (More on that in a future post.) So I'm thinking that it's possible that nearly thirty years before, the clerk arrived in America as a member of the Hessian troops that came to fight in the Revolutionary War. After the United States gained their freedom, this soldier must have stayed behind in the New World and eventually found employ at the hotel. It could even be that he was working at the very establishment that he owned.....

This is all conjecture, of course.

BCnU!

NUMBERS RUNNING: "THE MURDOCH MYSTERIES"

There's no time limit on the use of "The Numbers" from 'Lost'; in Toobworld, they existed as portentous integers long before the series started and they are to be found outside of the series as well.

In "Child's Play", one of 'The Murdoch Mysteries', Detective William Murdoch and Constable George Crabtree called upon one of the suspects in their murder investigation. This would have taken place in Toronto around 1895.

And the suspect happened to live in Apartment #23.....

BCnU!

AS SEEN ON TV: LEE HARVEY OSWALD

LEE HARVEY OSWALD

AS SEEN IN:
'Red Dwarf'

AS PLAYED BY:
Toby Aspin

We're not celebrating nor honoring him here. Just marking his involvement in one of the most polarizing events of the 20th Century......
BCnU!